Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-06-08

lan's first disappointment. He began the
march up the Peninsula April 4, 1862. His
army was divided into two columns, right
and left. The right marched up along York
river toward Yorktown, under Gen. Heint-
zclman. The left, commanded by Gen, Reyes,
followed the James river up toward Williams
burg. by following the line of march upon
the map, the course of the two columns will
I've clear. Reyes was 10 proceed as rapidly as
might he on the west and occupy Halfway
House, point on the narrow dividing ridge
which formed the watershed between the
York and James rivers He was to halt here
and by all means prevent either the escape of
the Confederate garrison at Yorktown or the
throwing in Of re endorsements to them.
keyes was expected to reach Halfway
House April ). But he did not The two
months rain OF the tpring of 1862 began as
the Federal army began to move. The roads
became ct some points impossible for artil-
lery.
Another thing: In all the years that the
United States had been country there never
had been en- accurate map made Of this part
of Virginia OF tho region Immediately in
front Of Heintzelman's column there was nc
better mep than the ono made when the Brit
ish besieged Yorktown in 1881. A govern
ment survey of the Peninsula had been
made in 1918, but later than that there was
nothing to 60 by.
The land before McClellan's army was an
unknown region of swamp, with rain pour
ing night and day, and lines of heavy Con
federate Notifications between it and Rich
mond OF all this the two advancing col
uinns knew nothing, except just that it
rained That was plain enough.
April ) Reyes marched five miles out, EN-
ccuntered the Confederate fortifications at
Lees Mills and stopped Seven miles below
Yorktown there was line of Notifications
quite across the solid ground of the Peninsula,
which, between the head of Warwick river
and York river. narrowed to three miles
Besides that the Confederates had damned
the deep creeks flowing into the James and
Warwick rivers, which had backed the water
into impcnetrable boys.
The Confederate army of the Peninsula was
under the immediate command of Gen. J.
Bankhead aacruder He had prepared OF
| begun three lines of fertilization across the
Peninsula The first one was seven miles
below Yorktown. While Mcclellan had
been equipping his army and getting "gool
ready" at Washington, the Confederates had
been fortifymg between him and Richmond
| It was the Warwick river and the fortified
| tions along its course which stopped McClel
| lan's army. both Heintzelman on the right
| and keyes on the left. This river on tn,
| maps Mcclellan had access to flowed parable
| with those rivers, nearly southeast Ii
! reality it flowed across the Peninsula between
/ the rivers.
! 1t made formidable barrier, fortified as il
was. keyes' column stopped at Lees Mills
| on the Warwick, and encamped there
| Hentzelman's column approached nearel
Yorktown, where it was also stopped by thu
Warwick This was Magruder's second ant
| most important line of Notifications Tn
| first had been abandoned March l. The OLE
line Of Notifications thrown up by the Britisl
in Isl had been revived by Magruder Alon;
the line of the Warwick, stretched across tn
Peninsula, were II, 600 Confederates, and thi
| was the force opposed TO Mcclellan with hi
| army of s. 900 men.
President Lincoln kept dispatching 10 hin
to strike a blow" Magruder expected al
attack. Ills troops lay upon their arms il
the trenches several days awaiting the attacl
Opposite where McClellan's army lay, ZEE
Yorktown. there were only 5000 southern
troops There was some skirmishing, nothing
| 4Hrre If Mcclellan had Immediately attacks
Magyuicr he could have forced his line an
taken Yorktown without doubt.
For six days the 5000 Confederates he'll
| Yorktown against McClellan's 5000. The
it began to be plain what he was about H
was digging in the ground around Yorktown
throwing up oarthworlSs, preparing to plac
heavy siege gun, and 90 into regular invest
mcHt. He cut roads and built bridges. An
still it rained, and McClellan's soldiers sicI
cned and died il the swamps of the NaI
wick
One Of the Confederate Notifications on III
Federal right was known as Dam No.
April il reconnaissance of the Confcderat
position was made here by some of Ger
William T. Smiths mea, under orders fro,
the general in chief The Warwick wa
waist deep, hut some Ncrmonters h
roically waded across and gained tn
Confederate rifle pits, which they hel
for half an hour. They were forced t
withdraw, the Confc,lerates being quickly II
enforced. Once more some other Vernon
troops were ordered across, under protectio
} of twenty guns, the division battery. BIT
they were met by heavy fire and were o.
dered back Gen Smith was exceedingl
anxious to mass the division and make Dol
M break, but his chic
| IL,